BUY BLACK: THE BANTU APP

Co-Founder talks bringing database of Black hair care stylist to you with the click of a button…

By Lincoln Anthony Blades

“Black women far outspend any other demographic when it comes to hair care products and services. However, they struggle to have their needs met by a majority of salons, and hair care product brands.”

The above quote comes directly from Bantu’s mission statement, and clearly outlines a reality many Black women are all too familiar with: the incredibly frustrating endeavor of attempting to find a great hairstylist whom she can entrust to effectively nurture and finesse her mane.

But now, thanks to Bantu, there’s an app for that; and it’s truly a game-changer.

“Bantu is a free app that will help you discover local hairstylists, specifically for Black women,” says Meron, co-founder and head of Bantu’s PR and User Engagement. Along with the other co-founder Richard, the head of Finance and Operations, and the main app developer and original founder John, the app was essentially born this year at the intersection of demand and aptitude.

“Because [John] has the technical ability and also because he heard a lot of frustration from Black women that he knew were having a hard time finding a hairstylist, he put up the app. Later, we all met up together and had this excitement about Bantu.”

While there are other apps out there that aim to connect hairstylists and potential customers, Bantu’s creators noticed that there weren’t any apps that specifically engaged women with kinky, curly and coiled hair.

“Are there competitors in the marketplace now? Yes. And they’re not exclusively focused on the Black woman demographic either. And that’s where our unique edge is,” Meron said. “We’re focused on discoverability. We’re focused on promoting Black businesses. Specifically in the Black community, it’s very hard for us to find hairstylists, even when we know they’re out there.”